'Security situation' allegedly keeps Google reps from appearing in Israeli court

Lawyers for two employees stationed at the company's European headquarters in Ireland were scheduled to testify before a Tel Aviv Magistrate court on November 30, Channel 2 reports.

By DANIEL J. ROTH, NIV ELIS
Updated: NOVEMBER 12, 2015 22:47
Google (photo credit: REUTERS)
Google
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Google company representatives who were scheduled to arrive in Israel to testify in a civil lawsuit canceled their scheduled arrival to the country, citing Israel’s current “security situation,” Channel 2 reported on Thursday.
Two employees stationed at the company’s European headquarters in Ireland were scheduled to testify before the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court on November 30, but their lawyers requested that their clients be allowed to testify via video call, citing the current security crisis engulfing the Jewish state.
“In light of the current security situation, especially due to the wave of terrorism in Israel...
concerns by the witnesses are legitimate and perfectly understandable,” a statement from a lawyer representing the Internet giant said. “Therefore, our clients should not be compelled to come to Israel to testify.”
The judge in the proceedings agreed to the request, Channel 2 said.
A former employee of Google based in Israel is suing the tech giant for damages after the company foreclosed on his Adsense program, a platform that enabled website publishers to sell advertising space on Google.
Though well-publicized conflicts typically have an affect on tourism in Israel, business travel tends to be more resilient. A Bank of Israel study in March found that lost tourism and local private consumption accounted for the vast majority of the economic hit taken during the past several conflicts.
Business typically continued as usual.
The recent wave of terrorist stabbings and vehicular attacks seems to have had little impact on tourism.
Google did no tcomment on the incident.